There are many risks associated with ground gases when it comes to construction of buildings and other ground developments. Ground gases may arise from different sources which include toxic hydrogen sulphide, radioactive radon, flammable methane, asphyxiant, petroleum vapours, etc.

The risks to buildings and building occupants are low, but the perceived risks on many sites are significant, mostly resulting in delays and the installation of over-digested protective measures. Biogas Systems has a track record of offering cost-effective solutions when it comes to hazardous ground fumes risks. They also have expertise in ground gas monitoring, risk assessment, the design of gas protection, installation and maintenance of gas systems. You can call them any time for ground gas risk assessment and other LFG and ground gas services.

What entails a reliable ground fumes risk assessment?

It is critical to identify the worst case ground fumes risk to recommend appropriate measures. Robust techniques such as continuous soil gas monitoring with the continuous flow can assist when it comes to determining the most appropriate measures required by providing accurate data.

How have soil gas risk assessment techniques changed?

A few decades ago before the introduction of continuous soil gas and flow monitoring, gas risk assessment data was often supplemented by ‘spot’ readings. Gas flow measurements taken periodically are ordinarily affected by the ground conditions, piston effect, or barometric pumping, rather than as a result of gas generation. But continuous soil gas monitoring helps identify the real gas regime at the site. It provides useful data accuracy leading to higher quality gas risk assessments. The past readings taken using periodic measurements were mostly confusing and misleading, which resulted in erroneous conceptual site models and money and time wastage.

Benefits of the new continuous monitoring technology

As more monitoring devises increases in the market, the client has more choice than ever when it comes to choosing the ideal instrument. Developments such as telemetry enable heightened data capture and long-term deployment, which result in, not only better quality data, but also time and money saving. Clients have no restrictions to the type of site conditions they can monitor, which means services are tailor-made to meet the individual needs and complex sites.

What’s next for soil gas risk assessments?

It is clear that continuous soil gas monitoring has changed hazardous ground fumes risk assessment. Following a multiple evidence approach, it allows for an easy and detailed understanding of a variety of site conditions. Modern technology, combined with continuous gas monitoring, result in cost-effective risk assessments that are delivered timely and with higher standards.